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Friday, October 9, 2015

Don't blink

This basically refers to how many events just come and go in the Big City, and it is so easy to miss them.

I just saw a student production of The Physicists at Victoria College. It was only on for 3 nights (and no weekend dates!). While it was clearly a student production, it was still fun. They played up different aspects from the polished Stratford production, mostly going for more humor in the early going but also had the Frau Doctor and the Inspector (here played by a woman) lust after the male attendants that appear in Act II. They also used the earlier translation, and roughly 75% of the time, I think this was the right way to go compared to the modern translation/adaptation that Stratford commissioned. Interestingly, I think they dropped a few lines about how the Frau Doctor copied Mobius's notes while he was drugged and dozing. There was one amusing moment where the newly hung picture fell, and the actor playing the Frau Doctor did some improv: "This place is just falling apart. Too bad for you." How awesome.

On the other hand, it turned out that by going to the show, I missed a concert over at the Campbell House Museum. I found this out yesterday when I ran in over lunch and talked to the assistant curator. She has the somewhat thankless task of seeing if people stroll in off the street and then give them tours. The reason I went in was an ad about a small site-specific art show at the museum, which only lasts one more week. I also wanted to see if there were any discounts for people that saw both sets of monologues in the Talking Heads production that starts in November. (Probably not, but I will keep my eyes open.)

It is simply impossible to keep on track of everything, and even when you do find out about events, you probably cannot fit them all in any way. A perfect example is last week when the TSO concert overlapped with the Vieux Farka Toure concert. And there's a trio concert tonight that seemed very tempting, but I've just done too much this week already. (I would encourage others to go, however.)

In some ways, it is probably better for my mental health not to be in Chicago where there are probably three to four times as many plays going on at any one time relative to Toronto. Toronto has a very healthy theatre scene, but one where you can probably see almost everything that is to your own taste. (It is probably not possible to see all the productions at all the various storefront theatres, but I generally rule quite a few out right up front. In fact, I didn't see any company I was going to subscribe to in 2016*, and it appears I will have a bit more time to spend at home (writing?) than I typically would.)

I guess the primary blink-and-you-missed-it thing on my mind at the moment is The Greeks exhibit at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, which closes this weekend. We should be able to make it, since we planned a visit to Ottawa, and we'll try to go over early before the lines get too long on Sunday. After that, we still have a month to check out the Magna Carta exhibit at Fort York. I am probably going to take the kids on Thanksgiving Day itself, since so little else will be open. But that hasn't been decided. I think a lot depends on how the trip goes (particularly how exhausting the driving is) and how we all feel on Monday.

* I really thought I would subscribe to Tarragon, but I just don't like their upcoming season at all. Coal Mine is quite close to me, and they have a very good deal on their season pass -- through Oct 22 here. However, I know for certain that I don't want to see Killer Joe. I have no interest in that at all, though I think a lot of people (esp. people who love indy theatre) would love it. Likewise, they are doing The Winter's Tale, which is just not a play I care for in the least. I'm kind of wishy-washy about The River, but I think I'll go in November, assuming I can squeeze it in. The one play that is definitely up my alley is Instructions to any Future Socialist Government Proposing to Abolish Christmas, which will be put on in May, so I should add that to my list of future events.